Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1993-03-29
1995-02-07
Focarino, Margaret A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280736, 102530, 422166, B60R 2128
Patent
active
053870077
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas generator having a thin-walled structure for an expandable air bag for protecting the occupant(s) of an automobile, and more particularly to an improvement in a housing of a gas generator suitably incorporated in a steering wheel to protect a driver of a passenger car when the collision of the car occurs.
2. Background of the Invention
As generally known, an air bag is a conventional safety device that is provided in a passenger car to protect a driver or passengers from an impact occurring when the car crashes. It comprises an air bag, and a gas generator for inflating the air bag in a very short period of time.
This gas generator has, as main constituent elements, a centrally positioned igniter in which a squib/enhancer is held, a cylindrical combustion chamber, formed so as to surround the igniter, housing gas generants therein, and a cross-sectionally rectangular filter/coolant chamber formed axially about the combustion chamber so that a gas generated in the combustion chamber passes through a filter and a coolant and flows through gas outlet ports formed in the side wall of the filter/coolant chamber and into an air bag.
Various types of structures of a housing for forming a combustion chamber and a filter/coolant chamber in such a gas generator have heretofore been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication-A No. 155857/1990 proposes a gas generator in which a combustion chamber is formed by a combination of a bottomed cylindrical portion of a housing body and a cover member welded to an opened part of this cylindrical portion so as to minimize the dimensions and weight of the gas generator.
Japanese Patent Publication-A No. 152639/1980 discloses a gas generator of a thin-walled structure formed so as to reduce the weight of a casing, in which a combustion chamber and a filter chamber are formed by a combination of a central cylinder in which an igniter is held, a cover, and an S-shaped casing. Outlet ports of the filter chamber (expansion chamber) being made in the form of slits by punching an extended portion of the casing.
However, when any of these conventional gas generators of a thin-walled structure are incorporated in a steering wheel of an automobile, safety problems arise since the wall of the housing which faces a driver consists of one thin plate covering a combustion chamber. Moreover, another disadvantage is that an assembly line for such gas generators, and the relative equipment used becomes complicated since the sealing of housings for the gas generants is done by welding.
An object of the present invention is to provide a gas generator of a weight-reduced, thin-walled structure having a housing of improved strength, capable of sealing gas generants by a non-welding method, which is advantageous with respect to the manufacturing equipment required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Namely, the present invention relates to a gas generator of a thin-walled structure, having a central cylindrical holder 3 in which a squib/enhancer is housed, a combustion chamber surrounding the holder and holding gas generants therein, a filter/coolant chamber formed annularly so as to surround the combustion chamber adapted to allow the entry thereinto of a gas from the combustion chamber, and gas outlet ports from said filter/coolant chamber through which the gas may enter into an air bag. The apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the combustion chamber 10 is formed with a combustor cup 14 having an annular top wall fixed at an inner edge portion thereof to a circumferential edge of a top wall of the central cylindrical holder 4 by riveting. At the lower end of the combustion chamber 10, a combustor plate 16 is welded at an outer edge thereof to an inner edge portion of a longitudinal extension of the combustor cup, and the combustor plate 16 is welded at an inner edge thereof to an edge portion of the central cylindrical holder 3, so as to close the combustion chamber. A diffuser 12
REFERENCES:
patent: 3985076 (1976-10-01), Schneiter et al.
patent: 4278638 (1981-07-01), Nilsson et al.
patent: 5062367 (1991-11-01), Hayashi et al.
patent: 5100174 (1992-03-01), Jaskon et al.
patent: 5139280 (1992-08-01), Cord et al.
patent: 5149129 (1992-09-01), Unterforsthaler et al.
Muramatsu Osamu
Ogawa Akihisa
Dalcel Chemical Industries, Ltd.
Ellis Christopher P.
Focarino Margaret A.
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